Chengdu Airport's passenger throughput has maintained double-digit growth since the beginning of this year. In January to November, the airport registered 12% y-o-y growth in incoming and outgoing passenger traffic.

"In line with our annual target of adding three new routes for international scheduled direct service, Chengdu Airport will have 55 additional international and regional scheduled passenger and cargo air routes by 2020," Chengdu Municipal Port and Logistics Bureau chief Zhongwei Chen said.

Chengdu Airport currently serves 249 air routes, 165 of which are domestic air routes, as of the end of November this year. In December, a direct service between Chengdu and Paris has been added.

Mr. Chen said Chengdu Airport has seen strong growth in flight network and passenger and cargo throughput, as Chengdu is the base for 268 of the global Fortune 500 companies, including Intel and Volkswagen. The city also maintains direct trade with 211 countries and regions.

Meanwhile, Chengdu is an internationally-acclaimed tourism destination, MICE location and the logistics gateway for western China. The volume of business traffic has also contributed to the growth of Chengdu Airport's passenger and cargo throughput.

Additionally, a series of State incentive policies for Chengdu Airport, such as the 72-hour visa-free transit and jet fuel bond policies, have boosted the airport's growth. The development of international air routes has also been supported by a special project fund set up by the Sichuan provincial government.

In the next phase of development, Chengdu Airport will renovate its facilities, improve its process and strengthen its strategic partnerships with major carrier headquarters in order to meet its target of handling 60 million passengers, with 8-10 million of which international passengers.(Translation by David)